It's only you and me
by afrah11
Summary: Jack is sick and asking for his mother. Hotch is desperate and he calls the only person that he knows will help his son to feel better.


_A/N: Hello everyone! This is yet another story based on the prompt set by Angel N Darkness, Princess Aletheia and LacytheDemonicDuck. It is kind of a sequel to my previous story 'When I look at you' even when it's not necessary to read that one first. I hope you like it :) _

_The song for this story is 'Here Without You' by 3 Doors Down _

_Thanks so much to 'Musiclover14' for the readthrough. __And also thanks to all the people that read my stories, it means a lot! _

_Disclaimer: I own nothing from this show or its characters. And I do not own the song or anything related to '3 Doors Down' either._

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**It's only you and me**

Aaron Hotchner was desperate. Although Jack's fever was no longer as high as it was before, his flushed cheeks and the constant calling for his mother told him that Jack was no where near to being okay.

_God!_ Where was Jessica when he so desperately needed her? _Having a life! _His subconscious taunted. Even when Hotch knew that he could interrupt her at any minute-considering it was regarding her nephew-Aaron also knew it was not Jessica for whom Jack was calling, but for his late mother:Haley. How could he bring her back so his son could feel a bit better? If there was a way, he would do it for sure, but unfortunately, that wasn't an option since Haley was forever gone. From both his and Jack's lives.

Reaching to touch his son's fevered forehead, he smiled a little when he noticed Jack flutter his eyes; his long lashes stuck in Vs because of the tears.

"How are you feeling buddy?" Hotch smiled at his son, and even when he wasn't in the mood to smile, he knew Jack would feel better if he did.

"I want Mommy," Jack whimpered, his words muffled by the stuffed bear that he was holding close to his little chest.

Grimacing at his son's request he stroked his cheek lightly "I know buddy, but she's right here with you," Hotch responded in a soothing tone, taking the framed photo of his late ex-wife that occupied the night table beside Jack bed.

Jack shook his head. "I wanna see her." Jack's eyes were now wide open and full of tears, threatening to come out any time, which broke Hotch's heart.

"She can't come, Jack. She's with the angels, remember?"

The tears started flowing freely from his son's eyes and Hotch felt miserable. His son was not feeling okay and the only thing he wanted was exactly the only thing that he could not give him.

Wiping his tears with the sleeve of his pajama shirt Jack turned to look at his dad. "I want Miss Em'ly then," his voice came just above a whisper. "Please"

God! Jack kept asking for the impossible, but at least Emily was alive and he could definitely try to reach her.

"She might be busy right now son." That wasn't exactly a lie since Hotch had no idea what Emily was doing at the time. She could be sleeping or… on a date. _No_. He shook his head. That one was a possibility that he refused to think of. Aaron knew it was not his place to assume and that Emily did not belong to him.

Nevertheless, sometimes…when he was at his apartment trying to forget about the events of the day day, she was the one person that filled his dreams along with memories of Emily playing with Jack and all the little moments that he and Emily spent together. Hotch liked to believe that it was possible, that maybe someday they will be a couple. He had entertained the thought more than a couple of times. Moreover, each time was more pleasant than the last.

"Try callin' her Daddy. Miss Em'ly is my friend and she said that she's always gonna be here for me."

Taking his phone out from the back pocket of his trousers, he dialed Emily's number. As he waited patiently for her to pick up, his mind tried to figure out how to word his case. He didn't have much time since she answered her phone by the third ring.

"Prentiss," she greeted warmly. The moment he heard her voice, his chest constricted with joy and an inexplicable reassurance.

"Hi Emily, its Hotch." That sounded…safe.

"Oh lord Hotch; please tell me we don't have a case. We've just get back and I am so far behind with things…"

"No," Hotch cut her off. "It's not a case. It's just that…" He searched for the right words. "Jack is sick and…"

"Oh my God! Is he okay?" Emily's tone went from bothered to one of concern.

"Yes, he's fine-more or less. He's been running a fever and…" he trailed off. "He wants to see you."

Emily went quiet for a few moments. Hotch's answer was definitely unexpected and it took her a few seconds to recover. "Okay, I'm on my way."

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Emily rang the buzzer. Quickly the door was swung open and a frazzled Aaron Hotchner greeted her.

"Sorry it took me so long, but I went to the store to bring these," she apologized, showing Hotch the contents of the paper bag currently in her hands. He noticed the ingredients for a home made chicken soup. Looking at Hotch, Emily quickly explained, "I'm sure it's gonna help him feel better." She smiled widely at him. "How is he doing?"

He walked behind her to the kitchen "The fever finally broke, but he's still a bit weak and refuses to eat."

"That's to be expected," she soothed and placed the paper bag on top of the kitchen's counter top, before turning to face Hotch.

"May I see him?"

Hotch nodded gratefully at her request. "It's all what he has been asking for, you and… his mother."

"Oh! Hotch I'm sorry." She reached out her hand and placed it on his arm. Her gentle touch was comforting yet filled him with an unexpected longing. _God, did she know what she did to him?_

Hotch shrugged. "It's okay; he hasn't done it for a while, but now that he was feeling under the weather, I guess it triggered memories of his mother."

She nodded her understanding. Hotch placed his large hand on the small of her back, and they made their way into Jack's room.

"Hi buddy!" Emily greeted enthusiastically.

"Miss Em'ly! You came." Jack's voice was sleepy, and he turned his head to the see Emily and his dad.

Emily took a seat on the edge of Jack's bed. Tenderly her fingertips brushed the hair from his now cool forehead. "Of course I did, honey. I told you that I was always going to be here when you needed me, remember?"

He nodded his head. "'Cause you're my friend"

"That is right kiddo," she said, and leaned over to place a kiss against his forehead.

"Do you want me to read you a story?" Emily asked. She noticed the stack of books on the night table. Hotch must have been at his wit's end to finally have to break down and call for her help.

Jack shook his head. "I want you to stay with me." Taking Emily's hand in his small grip, he held on for dear life.

"I guess I can do that." And she could since she had nowhere else to go.

Hotch, who was looking the scene unfold in front of him, felt overwhelmed with an inexplicable longing. His son seemed so happy when Emily was around, and if he was to be honest with himself, he did too. Slowly he came to sit on the edge of the bed.

Eventually, Jack's respiration changed, letting both adults know that the little boy was slowly giving into a much-needed sleep. However, when Emily attempted to move, Jack tightened the hold to her hand.

"Don't go. Please stay," Jack's voice was sleepy, and though he never opened his eyes, he was fully aware of Emily's intentions to leave.

Emily placed a gentle kiss to the top of his head. "I'm not going anywhere Jack; I'm staying right here with you okay? But my back is a bit sore and I need to change my position is it okay with you?"

Jack nodded his head and let her go. He quickly readjusted his position and finally fell asleep. Noticing that there was no room for Emily to stay on Jack's bed anymore, Hotch and Emily left his room.

* * *

"Well, mission accomplished." Emily offered a victory smile. Crossing her arms in front of her chest, she followed Hotch to the living room. Taking opposite ends of the couch, they sat down. Unsure what to say, Hotch broke the silence first.

"Thank you so much Emily. I am really sorry if I interrupted you, but I really didn't know what to do. Jack was calling for his mother and then he called for you. I wasn't even sure if I should call you at first. Then I realized that out of the two people he was calling for, you are the only one who could make it to his side."

Emily lifted her shoulders in a light shrug. "It's okay Hotch; I'm glad you called me."

Hotch sighed deeply while running a hand over his face. "I'm neither the greatest nor the best parent."

She sat down on the couch by his side. "That is not true Hotch, and you know it."

Hotch shook his head in disagreement. "I am not even able to make my son feel better. That was something Haley was best at. I guess she had more experience since she was with him more than I."

"Stop that!" Emily ordered. "You are a great parent. These things take time to learn. But you did your best; Jack is healthy and going to recover and that is all that matters."

Hotch shook his head. "He didn't calm down until you showed up Emily; even I don't have that kind of effect on my son."

"Maybe it could be the 'girl effect' you know," she teased and winked at him which caused him to chuckle.

"I'd think then it's safe to call it the 'Emily Effect' and in that case, I suffer from it as well." He tried to sound casual, but failed miserably.

She shifted in her seat. "I…I think I'd better get going"

She was about to stand up, when Hotch's hand gripped her wrist. The feeling of his touch was peculiar, yet welcoming.

"You can't leave; you promised Jack that you'd stay."

"Oh Hotch, don't use Jack as an excuse."

"I'm not," he said, while pulling Emily's arm gently so she had to readjust her position next to him. He then proceeded to close the gap between them, which caused the air to be caught in her chest.

"This has nothing to do with Jack, Emily. I will not deny that I love how you dropped what you were or were not doing to be with him and that tells me that you do care for him. But what is going on between us has nothing to do with how my son feels towards you, but rather how I do," he said, taking her hand into his, placing small kisses to her fingers.

"Oh Hotch!" She bit her lower lip. _This cannot be happening! _"Hotch…" she cleared her throat trying to ignore the butterflies that were floating in her stomach. "You are still worried about Jack and that feeling is the one speaking at the time. You have no feelings for me and we both know that." The last words came out as a whisper and saying them was killing her because she had feelings for her boss-she had had them for a long time. As to whether they were requited or not, that was an entirely different story.

"Do you think that is my worry speaking then?" His brown eyes looked intently into hers.

For a second Emily felt out of words, finally, she managed to answer his question. "I do."

Without breaking the eye contact, Aaron took a stronger hold on Emily's hand currently on his and pulled Emily to sit her on his lap**.**

She gasped but said nothing. She couldn't believe what Hotch has just done, but somehow his actions were a pleasant surprise. In addition, most definitely welcomed.

Hotch knew he was treading dangerous waters, but he did not care much at this moment. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"Profile me Emily. Am I lying?" He taunted.

"What?" Emily's face was one of pure surprise.

"You heard me. Go ahead and profile me. The rules be damned, I want you to do it Emily."

Though she couldn't believe what he was asking of her, she knew that he was serious about his request.

"Okay," she cleared her throat, it wasn't that she hadn't profiled Hocth before, but it was the first time that he asked her to and the fact that she was currently sitting on his lap was not helping her skills.

"You are a good and decent man and one of the best FBI agents I've ever met. Your sense of duty and righteousness is like no other and you always try to do things by the book, but if a friend is in need, you will not hesitate to offer your help, even if it means breaking the rules. You're a loving father; Jack is the center of your world and the reason why you do your job. You have chauvinistic tendencies. You do not trust women the same way you do men-not because you consider them inferior, but because you're afraid that something might happen and you're won't be able to help. You do not lie and you're always direct, not bold like I am, after all, you still have some prosecutor left inside you."

"Is that it?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Well then, you've just agreed with me."

"I… I do not get it, why do you say that?"

"Because according to your profile, which is pretty accurate I may add, I don't lie, meaning that you do believe what I've just told you about my feelings."

"Oh Hotch," Emily replied, biting her lip again. She finally broke eye contact and turned her gaze to the floor. He reached his hand out to touch her face, his thumb caressing her cheek lightly.

"Em please, look at me." Leaning into his touch, she finally gave in. "I'm not telling you that I'm head over heels in love with you, but I am sure that I have deep feelings for you and I would very much like to explore those feelings. Not only because you're good to my son, but also you're good to me. I love how I feel when you're around. You're always in my dreams and my thoughts, and apparently in my son's too, which is a bonus, but it is not the reason why I'm asking you to give our relationship an opportunity to escalate from friendship to something else. I never thought I was ever going to be capable of feeling again that I was going to become a cold bitter man incapable of wishing to have a family again after my miserable first failure. But then I realized that you are here and that you're a constant in my life, Emily, and each time I look at your eyes and your face, I feel an indescribable happiness and hope about the future. I never envisioned myself having feelings for a team member, but it happened and I'm glad."

Neither spoke for a long minute. Then Hotch continued.

"You're a very beautiful woman, and sometimes I don't know if you even realize how gorgeous you really are-not only on the outside, but the inside as well. I admire you, Emily. Your determination, your compassion towards other people, the love you're capable of giving. I totally adore your smile and your sense of humour that some times lightens the mood of the most horrendous crime scenes."

"You never laugh," she observed, but it was clear that his words had reached the core of her soul.

He placed a light kiss to her temple "I can't, I'm the supervisor, but it doesn't mean that I do not enjoy your remarks."

Tears stung Emily's eyes as she listened to his words. Never in her wildest dreams had she never expected him to tell her anything like this-let alone be so honest and open about his feelings.

"What do you say Em, would you give us an opportunity?"

She didn't know what to say, but he knew she was considering his words when her head tilted to the side. "What about the fraternization rules?"

"What about them? They do not need to know that we're involved, at least not for now. Once we prove to them that we can be professionals and not let our personal life interfere with the job, and then we can be honest. And when the time comes, we can ask Dave to do your evaluations, so nobody can accuse me of bias." His eyes were full of hope and in that moment she knew what her answer would be.

Emily nodded her head, grinning enthusiastically at her now boyfriend. "Okay."

Hotch held her tight and squeezed her against him. He was scared about her reaction, but now he felt relieved and immensely happy.

"I do love you Hotch…I mean…Aaron," Emily whispered as he tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear. "I think I've always had some sort of feelings for you. From the minute I laid my eyes on you…but I knew you were taken. When we saw each other again and I found out that you're still happily married, I was happy for you-I really was-but it did not change the fact that I was also glad for the possibility of seeing you every day and to be able to work by your side." She leaned against him and brushed her lips against his.

He shifted his position to have better access to her mouth, it began slowly, and hesitant then his hand came to cup her jaw, deepening the kiss. Desperate for air, they pulled apart-each trying to catch their breath. Resting her head on his shoulder, her fingers remained intertwined with his, she savored the moment.

Relishing in the after glow, Hotch was the first one to speak. "It's getting late Em. Maybe it would be a good idea to go to bed." He felt her body stiffen a little at his words and he rushed to add, "You can take the bed; I don't mind sleeping on the sofa or in Jack's bedroom."

He felt how her head shook at his last comment. "That's not necessary. I…" She took a deep breath "I have no problems sharing a bed with you tonight. It's just that… Jack is on the other room and I do not want him to have the wrong impression," she added sheepishly.

Smiling a little at her words, leave it to Emily Prentiss to always worry. "I know we're just starting our relationship Em and we don't have to do anything but sleep Em. Tonight, it's only you and me." Aaron shifted Emily's position on his lap so he could see her face. "How about we sleep together tonight and enjoy of each other company? There will be time to do other things. How about that?"

She grinned broadly at him and nodded her approval. "I like the idea, especially if we're gonna wait to engage ourselves in other activities when we do not have a four year old in the other room."

"Did you know you're the best Emily Prentiss?"

She closed her eyes. "If you say so. Oh and for the record, I like to sleep in the left side of the bed if it's okay?"

Her last statement caused them both to laugh. It was now official.

Suddenly she felt one of his arms under her knees and the other in the small of her back. He gently pulled Emily up from the couch, and placing a kiss to her neck, he carried her towards his bedroom. Poking his head into Jack's room to check on him before resuming his way into his room, he left the door ajar, in case his son needed either of them.

For the first time in years Aaron Hotchner was convinced that he had a second chance to be happy and to make someone else happy and this time, he was not going to let it go.

**The End.**


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